The Seattle Storm and New York Liberty each have clinched spots in the WNBA playoffs. Now, with seven games remaining in the regular season, the two sides face off Thursday night in Brooklyn, N.Y., hoping to build momentum that they can bring into the postseason.
For fifth-place Seattle (20-13), the trip to New York is the last of a three-game East Coast swing that started with a split against the Connecticut Sun. After a 93-86 defeat on Sunday, the Storm got back on track with a 71-64 defensive showing against the Sun on Tuesday night. That win made Seattle 7-0 this season when holding opponents under 70 points.
Leading the defensive effort was Jordan Horston, who led the Storm with three blocks and two steals. It’s the best performance for the second-year guard since coach Noelle Quinn took her out of the starting lineup in favor of new signee Gabby Williams.
“Having Gabby initiate helps us a lot to give Jewell (Loyd) the ball, to give Skylar (Diggins-Smith) the ball, in action,” Quinn said. “That’s one thing that I feel comfortable with with Gabby. Jordan, defensively, gives us so much, and so there’s a difference when that unit is on the floor and we have to continue to explore.”
The league-leading Liberty (27-6) haven’t had the same workload on the court as the Storm over the past week. New York finished up a three-game West Coast trip on Friday, giving the team five days since its last game, a 98-85 win over Seattle.
In that game, the Liberty outshot the Storm 46.2 percent to 21.7 percent from beyond the arc. New York also dominated in the paint, outrebounding Seattle 45-17. Liberty starter Jonquel Jones played through an illness after the 6-foot-6 forward missed a 94-88 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks two nights prior.
Jones, a five-time All-Star, pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds on Friday and is expected back and healthier against Seattle on Thursday.
“I think she was able to see how much we missed her last game,” guard Sabrina Ionescu said. “Just her presence in the post, her ability to go out there and get second-chance opportunities, set great screens. Just be a post presence for us.”
Since returning from the extended Olympic break, Jones is averaging 10.4 rebounds per game, a rebound more than her season average.
–Field Level Media